Books are food for my soul! Pull up a beach chair and stick your toes in the sand as the Jersey surf rolls in and out, now open your book and let your imagination take you away.

Saturday, December 8, 2012

Falling for You by Heather Thurmeier (Author Guest Post / Book Review / Contest Giveaway)

In association with Chick Lit Plus Blog Tours, Jersey Girl Book Reviews welcomes Heather Thurmeier, author of Falling for You!
























Author Guest Post


Characters or Contestants?

Do you watch reality TV? I do and I’m not afraid to admit how much I love it! I can’t help it. Reality TV shows are just so… awesomesauce! ;)

But one thing I always wonder about is whether or not the contestants I see on the shows are being their genuine selves or are they ‘playing the part’ of the contestant they think viewers wants to watch. It’s hard to tell since we don’t know these people in their real lives. And honestly, the show that we see may be edited together in a way to make a contestant sound or look a certain way. But regardless of editing, the contestant still says and does the things that get edited together for the show, right?

So are the people on the shows really real or are they playing up some angle for the cameras? Are they playing the villain because viewers usually like the villain to stick around for drama? Are they playing the good girl and trying to be friends with everyone to win votes from the other contestants or viewers? What do you think?

In my book Falling for You, my characters are pretty true to their real selves. They don’t try to become some other character when the cameras are rolling versus when the cameras are turned off. Of course that doesn’t mean they are 100% authentic at every moment. But neither are we in our normal lives. Cassidy tries her best to contain her clumsiness and acts more confident that she actually is. But I don’t think that means she’s playing a character or acting a part. I think that means she’s human, just like us. She wants to put her best foot forward and do the best she can in an uncomfortable situation…and what situation is more uncomfortable then being forced to date your ex-boyfriend on national television while falling in love with the cameraman assigned to follow you around 27/4? I think Cassidy handles it all very well given the circumstances!

Have you ever had to push yourself to be something you’re not normally because of a situation you’ve found yourself in? I’d love to hear about it!

Thank you so much for having me on your blog today!!

Happy reading!

~Heather Thurmeier



About The Author


Heather Thurmeier is a lover of strawberry margaritas, a hater of spiders, and a reality TV junkie. She was born and raised in the Canadian prairies, but now lives in upstate New York with her own personal romance Hero (aka her husband) and their two little princesses. When she's not busy taking care of the kids and an adventurous puppy named Indy, Heather's hard at work on her next romance novel.


AUTHOR WEBSITE
FACEBOOK
TWITTER
GOODREADS
Heather Thurmeier ~ Falling For You ~ Virtual Book Tour Page ~ Chick Lit Plus Blog Tours



Virtual Book Tour Contest Giveaway

Win A $10 Amazon Gift Card

Contest Dates: Nov 26 - Dec 17, 2012



Everyone who leaves a comment on Heather Thurmeier's Falling For You Virtual Book Tour Page ~ Chick Lit Plus Blog Tours will be entered to win a $10 Amazon gift card! Anyone who purchases their copy of Falling for You before December 17th and sends their receipt to Samantha@ChickLitPlus.com, will get five bonus entries.


Book Review


Falling for You by Heather Thurmeier
Publisher: Crimson Romance
Publication Date: August 20, 2012
Format: Paperback - 244 pages / Kindle - 403 KB / Nook - 394 KB
ISBN: 1440552045
ASIN: B008PW2XFU
Genre: Contemporary Romance


BUY THE BOOK: Falling for You
AMAZON
BARNES & NOBLE
iTUNES


BUY THE SERIES: Reality TV Romance Trilogy
AUTHOR WEBSITE: REALITY TV TRILOGY
Falling for You - book 1 (available now!)
Stuck on You - book 2 (available February 11, 2013)
Lost without You - book 3 (available July 1, 2013)

"Heather Thurmeier's hunky heroes and feisty heroines will have you laughing out loud, falling in love ... and coming back for more!" ~ Carly Phillips, NY Times Bestselling Author

"Heather Thurmeier writes sweet, funny romances that capture your heart!" --NYT and USA Today bestselling author Jennifer Probst

Love and Lattes, Love on Landing, Love or Luxury, Bunny Hills and Bikinis, Falling for You ~ Available now! Stuck on You and Lost without You ~ Coming Soon!


Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author / publisher in exchange for my honest review and participation in a virtual book tour event hosted by Chick Lit Plus Blog Tours.


Book Description:

Newly single Cassidy Quinn is thrilled to be a contestant on the new reality dating show, The One.

But her excitement turns to horror when the gorgeous bachelor turns out to be her ex-boyfriend. Seeing Brad again makes Cassidy realize she might not be as “over him” as she thought—and then she meets hunky cameraman Evan Burke.

After watching his brother lose his wife in a tragic accident, Evan vows never to fall in love. But following Cassidy around as her personal cameraman makes him question his decision, and resisting her gets harder with every sunbathing, bikini-wearing day.

Cassidy and Evan begin a forbidden affair while her ex-boyfriend tries to win her heart back one groping, awkward moment at a time. If Cassidy can manage to stop falling off horses (literally), stop falling onto her ex-boyfriend, the bachelor (yes, literally), and stop falling in love with backstage playboy Evan, she might still make it through the show without becoming a tabloid sensation.

But soon Cassidy must choose between the ex who broke her heart and the cameraman who might never love her back. For Cassidy, this reality show just got real.


Book Excerpt:


(The Opening)

As Cassidy glanced around the formal living room, the ball of lead in her stomach grew.

What have I done?

How on earth did she end up here in Denver, sitting in a mansion, surrounded by cameras and beautiful women—some of whom had obvious fake boobs and hair extensions? Of course, she knew how she’d ended up here and it had nothing to do with magic or any other Hollywood special effect.

Nope.

It had been her meddling little sister Keira who’d taken it upon herself to apply to be on a new reality dating show—using Cassidy’s name. To Cassidy’s horror, she’d actually been accepted. When she’d gotten the unexpected call from the show’s producer, she’d wanted to kill her sister. Instead, she’d been convinced to go through with the rest of the audition process and screen tests. By the time it was all over and she was asked to be on the show, Cassidy had grown used to the idea of having an opportunity to fall in love with some mystery bachelor.

Her friends told her to forget the show and take a cruise instead, where she could soak in the sun while “Margaritaville” played over the pool speakers. But did she listen?

Not a chance.

Maybe he’ll be the one. Cassidy searched the room for the bachelor of the show, her stomach twisting into a knot at the thought of being forced to date someone new. She hadn’t been with anyone since Brad chose to leave her and New York behind to go back to California to start pro-surfing again. Maybe coming on the show would force her out of her six-month dating hibernation. Or maybe she’d throw up on the bachelor’s shoes when she finally met him. Either was a definite possibility.

Coming on the show sounded like a good idea at the time. But now she was here— now it was real and not some thing she would do in the future someday. She casually wiped her palms across her thighs and prayed she wouldn’t have to shake anyone’s hand anytime soon.

Cassidy nervously scanned the room, checking out the other single girls who had also come on the show in the hopes of finding Mr. Right—or, at least, Mr. Right Now. They all appeared more confident than she felt, chatting and mingling with ease while she sat alone on the couch twisting a napkin between trembling fingers. Every hair color, eye color, height, and personal style was reflected.

She wondered how she would ever stand out in this crowd of glamorous women with her mousy brown hair and eyes the color of pistachio ice cream. No one even likes pistachio ice cream, nor wants to have any part of their body resemble it. She tugged at the hem of her plain white shirt, wishing she’d decided to wear something bright and bold instead. Maybe she should have taken a few more minutes in front of the mirror to touch up her makeup while she’d had the chance.


My Book Review:

Are you a fan of Reality TV shows? Are you addicted to the dating reality shows The Bachelor and The Bachelorette? If you are a fan (even if you are a secret closet fan ... shhh ... I won't tell anyone!), then author Heather Thurmeier's first book in the Reality TV Trilogy, Falling for You is a must read!

It has been six months since twenty-eight year old New York banquet manager Cassidy Quinn's ex-boyfriend Brad trampled her heart and left New York for California. So when her meddling little sister Keira signed her up to be a contestant on the new reality dating show, The One, she was ready for a new adventure. Cassidy may have been ready to find love, but she didn't count on the Bachelor being her ex-boyfriend Brad! And if that isn't bad enough, Cassidy is attracted to her personal cameraman, Evan Burke, who is professionally off-limits.

Evan has witnessed his brother tragically losing his wife, and has vowed never to fall in love. But when he sees Cassidy, the attraction is mutual even though he tries to resist her charms.

Evan and Cassidy engage in a forbidden behind the scenes affair, but things get complicated when Brad throws his hat in the ring and tries to win back Cassidy's heart. What's a girl to do when she's falling in love and has two men vying for her attention?

Falling for You is a sassy behind the scenes look into the Reality TV dating shows. Written in the third person narrative, author Heather Thurmeier weaves a humorous tale of finding love on a Reality TV dating show with a mixture of drama, showmance and enough twists and turns that keeps the reader thoroughly entertained. This fast-paced story will keep you in stitches as Cassidy stumbles her way through the challenges on and off the show in order to find her Mr. Right. If you are a fan of reality dating shows, this story will simply draw you in just like the TV shows do!

The author transports the reader into the world of reality dating shows with an eclectic cast of characters who are realistic, flawed and just plain fun to get to know. Cassidy is a down-to-earth, klutzy but lovable girl who you can't help but embrace. Try stepping into her shoes and see how hard it is to decide which man you would choose to give your heart to! Evan is simply irresistible, emotional baggage and all! This hunky man had my vote, it was so much fun following how their attraction unfolds behind the scenes. Then there is Cassidy's ex-boyfriend and Bachelor, Brad. I was not a fan of this guy, he's a player that really isn't into finding true love, and I found myself frowning at his feeble attempts to win back Cassidy's heart. I would be remiss if I didn't mention the catty contestant Zoe. You know that every reality dating show has one (or more) of these types of women as a contestant, and I have to admit that I was thoroughly entertained by her antics. With a great cast of characters; quirky dialogue and interactions; and an entertaining romantic comedy storyline, Falling for You is one heck of fun read that will leave you satisfied!

Falling for You is the first book in the Reality TV Trilogy. This story will draw you and get you hooked on the drama just like the reality TV dating shows do. It will also keep you in suspense waiting to see what will happen in the next two books in the series!


RATING: 4 STARS ****








16 comments:

  1. Thank you so much for having me here today! And for the wonderful review too!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Heather! Thank you for the opportunity to read, review and host your virtual book tour event. I loved Falling for You, and look forward to reading the other 2 books in the trilogy. :)

      Delete
  2. Thanks for being a part of the tour!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Samantha! Thank you for the opportunity to host the virtual book tour event. :)

      Delete
  3. Heather's cover is gorgeous, and I want to commend you both for an awesome blog site and posting. I look forward to reading Falling for You.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Deborah! Thank you for stopping by and posting your kind comments. You'll enjoy reading Falling for You. :)

      Delete
    2. Thanks Deborah! I love the cover too! I can't wait to see the covers for the rest of the series.

      Delete
  4. I love the premise of this book. Too cute! Great post, Heather!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Susan! Thank you for stopping by and leaving Heather a comment. Hope you get to read the book, you'll enjoy it. :)

      Delete
  5. I read this a month or so ago. A really cute story, and great behind the scenes stuff. If your a fan or romance and reality shows (who isn't). You'll love it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Sylvie! Thank you for visiting my blog. I agree with you, the book really did have some great behind the scenes stuff. :)

      Delete
    2. Thank you Sylvie! I'm thrilled to hear you enjoyed the book!!

      Delete
  6. Great review. Congrats, Heather, on your 4 stars!
    -R.T. Wolfe

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi R.T.! Thank you for stopping by and posting your kind comments. :)

      Delete
  7. This looks like such a fun read. Great post, and great review!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Liv! Thank you for stopping by and posting kind comments, I appreciate it. This was a really fun read, hope you get a chance to read it. I stopped by your blog and followed you. :)

      Delete